Greetings!
My colleague in the Council of Ministers, Smriti Irani Ji who is present in Varanasi, the entrepreneurs associated with the carpet industry, my weaver brothers and sisters, and all other distinguished people present here. I convey my regards to all of you who have gathered here from across India and abroad on this sacred land of Kashi. I am told that more than 250 guests from 38 countries are here. In addition, the people from Jammu & Kashmir, West Bengal and several other states who are associated with the carpet industry are also present here. As the MP from Benaras I welcome all of you to this expo.
Friends,
This is the festival season in the country. This is for the first time after Dussehera and Durga Puja that I have got the opportunity to connect with Banaras with the help of technology. Now all of you will be busy in making preparations for Dhanteras and Deepawali. This is that time of the year when you remain most occupied. This period is slightly more hectic because the demand goes up during this time. Also, this is the best time for you to get the rewards for your hard work and for your craft.
Friends,
These festivals have brought twice the happiness for the weavers and traders of Varanasi and UP. I sincerely congratulate all of you for the organisation of first India Carpet Expo in Deendayal HastkalaSankul. Now the carpet industry of the country, our weavers, designers and businessmen have got the opportunity to showcase their skill and products to the world in Varanasi.
Friends,
I am happy that we are moving at a fast speed in the direction to achieve those objectives for which Deendayal HastkalaSankul was developed. It is also important because this region is a hub of the carpet industry. Nearly a quarter of the country’s weavers, labourers and trader brothers and sisters associated with the handicraft sector live here. Whether it is Varanasi, Bhadohi or Mirzapur, these have been the centres of carpet industry and now the entire Eastern India, the whole region is turniogn into a global hub for the country’s textile export. Not only that, Deendayal HastkalaSankul has also been playing an important role in strengthening this global recognition in handicrafts.
Friends,
The government has always been emphasising on the use of technology and publicity to encourage the small and medium scale industries in this sector and also to reach these facilities at the places where the goods are produced. This India Carpet Expo, which has been organised in Varanasi this time, is not just a major step in this direction but also an important pillar of our vision of Five Fs for the textile sector. Five Fs means Farm to Fiber, Fiber to Factory, Factory to Fashion and Fashion to Foreign. This is a massive effort to directly connect the farmers and weavers with the markets across the world.
In the next four days, several top designs will be showcased in this expo, business worth crores and crores of rupees will be done, deals will be made, new avenues for business will be opened and weavers will get new orders. I believe that those trader friends who have come from abroad they will also be able to understand our culture and the changed business environment of Kashi as well as whole of India.
Friends,
There has been an old tradition of handicrafts in India. Even today, the spinning wheel is widely used in India’s rural areas to make thread. And the land of Banaras had played even a greater role in this matter. Banaras is equally famous for both its handicrafts Saint Kabir. Kabir used to make thread and through it convey his message.KabirdasJi has said:
“KahiKabirSuno Ho Santo Charkha Lakhe Jo Koy,
Jo Yah Charkha LakhiBhaye, TakoAvagaman Na Hoy.”
It means that this spinning wheel is the essence of life, the one who has understood it, he has also understood the meaning of life. I get a sense of satisfaction for development of this kind of facilities for making the lives of weavers easier at a place where handicraft has been linked to such an important philosophy of life.
Friends,
In our country, handicraft has been a medium of inspiration, of struggle for the freedom and self-dependence over and above business and trade. We are very much familiar with the importance of Gandhi Ji, Satyagrah and spinning wheel.
With the cooperation from all of you, the government has been making a constant effort to strengthen this message of self-reliance through handicrafts. This is the reason that India has become the world’s largest producer of carpet today. In the last four and a half years, we have been on top of the world in terms of hand woven carpets. This became possible because of hard work of millions of weavers, designers and traders and also of the policies of the government.
Friends,
Today, India has more than one-third share of the global carpet market, it means 35%. It is estimated that in the next two-three years it will go up to 50% which means that in the next few years you people will command half of the global trade in carpets.
We exported carpets worth Rs. 9,000 crore last year. This year we have exported carpets to nearly a hundred countries. This is commendable, but we have to take it further. We have to make efforts to take this figure of export to Rs. 25,000 crore by 2022 when we will complete 75 years of our independence. It’s not just exports, the domestic trade of carpet in the country has gone up by three times in the last four years. The trade which was worth Rs. 500 crore four years ago, that trade has become worth Rs. 1600 crore today. If the country’s carpet market has expanded, there are two reasons for it. First, the middle class in the country has been expanding continuously, and second the facilities which were earlier not available to the casrpet industry, are now available to it. Besides, carpet industry is now getting publicity and efforts are being made to make carpets popular.
Friends,
If we just follow this trend the future of carpet industry and textile sector in the country is bright. Today, India is the only country in the world that produces from smallest to the largest carpet in the world. Not just this, Indian carpets are excellent in terms of arts and crafts. They are also environment friendly. This is the wonder performed by your knowledge and skill because of which this ‘Made in India Carpet’ has emerged as a big brand in the world.
Friends,
The government is committed to further strengthen this brand. Logistical support is being further strengthened so that there is no lack of facilities for carpet exporters. The work to provide showrooms and go-downs across the country has been done at a fast pace. Not only that, facilities are also being developed in terms of technology and quality. A world class laboratory has been established for testing of carpets in Bhadohi and Srinagar in Indian Institute of Carpet Technology, IICT. Our effort is to make our products zero defect and zero effect, to make products that are flawless and they should also reflect a concern for the environment.
In addition to this, several facilities have been developed for providing other assistance to the weavers and for marketing of other handicraft products besides carpets. Nine common facility centres, common service centres have been developed in Varanasi and these centres are benefiting thousands of weavers.
Friends,
Besides ensuring quality, several other efforts are being made so that weavers and small traders don’t have to face the fund related problems. Guarantee free loans worth Rs. 50 thousand to Rs. 10 lakh under the Mudra Scheme have been extremely helpful. A provision of margin money of Rs. 10,000 has been made for weavers under Mudra scheme. Now whatever assistance or loan is being given to the weavers, that is being directly credited to their bank accounts in a very short span of time. The identity cards that have been issued to weavers under the ‘Pahchan’ name, have been extremely helpful in eliminating middlemen.
Modern looms are also being provided to weavers in Bhadohi-Mirzapur Mega Carpet Cluster and Srinagar Carpet Cluster. Training is also provided to them so that the skill to operate the loom can be developed. Several programmes of skill development are running to improve skills of weavers.
Friends,
Earlier whenever I talked to weaver brothers and sisters, they would say: our children no longer want to join this trade. What could be more serious than this? Today, when we are at the top of the world in terms of carpet trade it is time we encourage the future generations.
A programme of B. Tech in carpet technology has been started in IICT, Bhadohi. There is a plan to start this kind of programmes in other training institutes in other parts of the country as well. In addition to skilling of weavers, the attention is also being paid for education to them and their children. Seventy-five per cent fee of the children of poor weaver families is being paid by the government.
Friends,
This government is also committed to convert your craft and labour into a national strength. In the coming days, there will be huge opportunities for the country, for Banaras to showcase this craft.
The PravasiBhartiyaSammelan, which is going to be organised in Kashi in January next year, will be a huge occasion for publicity. I am confident that the businessmen from the world over will be able to understand our cultural heritage, our handicraft and also a changing Kashi.
Once again I congratulate all of you in advance for DhanTeras, Deepawali and Chhath Puja. Once again I congratulate the Textile Ministry for successfully organising this event and for bringing global respect toKashi and my weaver brothers and sisters. My congratualations are also to all the people associated with export - import for visiting Kashi and for bringing Kashi to the centre of recognition.
Thank you very much.